There’s this Greyhound survey called ‘Hit the Road’, which seems to indicate that Americans have no interest in visiting National Landmarks.

The survey found that Americans like to travel regularly for pleasure, with 82 percent taking at least one leisure trip each year. But while they may be itching to hit the road, few Americans have visited the nation’s iconic landmarks such as Mount Rushmore (19 percent), the Liberty Bell (27 percent) and Niagara Falls (35 percent). “We’re surprised to find that more U.S. travelers aren’t choosing to visit some of our nation’s wonderful monuments,” said Kim Plaskett, director, corporate communications, Greyhound. Here’s the full press release.

Of course they want to skip the Landmarks. I mean, there’s just so many things to do in New York, like shopping on Fifth Ave, eating Shake Shack’s greasy burgers and watching people gulp down dozens of Hot Dogs at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating competition in Coney Island. Let’s just leave Niagara Falls to the Canadians….

The other bit of scandalous news involves the pampered traveling habits of A-list stars,  or more accurately, the incredible amount of time and money spent on transporting their pets. E! Online lets the cat out of the A-list Stars’ doggie transportation system.

The secret to celebrity doggy travel is a Southern California company called Pacific Pet Transport. For a fee, PPT researches import-export rules, arranges all necessary vet visits and vaccinations, helps push paperwork, books flights, places agents at airports to ensure snag-free travel, and even picks up and drops off the pet at whatever home or manager’s office the owner wants. The company can also help pets avoid lengthy quarantines by filing applications in advance with the right authorities. The estimated cost for that kind of international, door-to-door service: $4,000. - A-List Secrets: How Posh Pups Fly in Style, Leslie Gornstein, E! Online, May 8, 2008

4000 dollars to fetch a dog?? Do these people even know there’s a recession in progress? Do they know that 12 million people suffer hunger pangs daily in the U.S.? That 47 milion people have no health insurance? And then they ask why the rest of the country hates SoCal so much.

Lastly, there’s an article in Newsweek, which lists the most unhealthy (read unsafe) summer vacation destinations. And then lays it on by explaining just why these cities are so dangerous. Detroit tops the list with high numbers of murders, violent crimes and robberies, but the city’s worst offence? Detroit has the least number of sunny days among all American cities. California may have lots of sunshine, but it still takes the cake in these travel razzy awards, hogging spots 3, 4 and 5.

Most relevant for your summer vacation planning purposes are the cities with the most ozone pollution, which are Los Angeles, Long Beach and Riverside, Calif. Ozone irritates the respiratory tract and causes health problems like asthma attacks, coughing, wheezing, chest pain and even premature death,” Nolen [Janice E. Nolen, assistant vice president of national policy and advocacy for the American Lung Association] says. Sound like a vacation? Not so much. - The 9 Unhealthiest Summer Vacation Destinations, Alicia Coffman, Newsweek Web Exclusive, May 7th 2008

And Florida takes the 8th spot as the most dangerous state for eating out. Their restaurants are real killers, it seems. This is just great. You can’t breathe in Los Angeles, you can’t eat in Florida, its too hot in Houston and there’s no sunshine in Detroit. I think I want to move to Canada.

Posted on May 9th, 2008 by PLing
Filed under: Travel News